Marriage 2 Jane Eltonhead b: 1618 in Eltonhead, Lancashire, England Married: 1 Aug 1649 in Maryland (w/ Robert Moryson VA) Aug. 1, 1649. Jane Eltonhead, born in 1622, married Cuthbert Fenwick in 1640s and settled near old capital of Maryland, St. Mary, where their descendants still live in the 21st century

Biographical notes

"[Cuthbert] Fenwick was a scion of one of England's oldest and staunchest Catholic families. No doubt it was the training that he received at home that made him one of the most striking figures in early Maryland and one of the most influential builders of the colony, during the first two decades of its history, as well as "the fairest exponent of that system of religious liberty which had constituted the very corner-stone of the first settlement under the charter" procured by Cecilius Calvert, the lord proprietary."

Much more about Cuthbert Fenwick follows in the book, from page 156 through 174.

Cuthbert Fenwick was born Abt. 1614 in Fenwick Tower, Northumberland, England, and died Bef. April 24, 1655 in Fenwick Manor, St. Mary's, Maryland. He married Jane Eltonhead on August 01, 1649 in St. Mary's County, Maryland.

Includes NotesNotes for Cuthbert Fenwick:

Cuthbert was the fourth of six sons of George Fenwick of Longshows (Longshaws), a cadet branch of the Fenwick family of Fenwick Tower, Northumberland, England.

Cuthbert Fenwick came over in the ship the Ark and Dove, in 1634 with Leonard Calvert, Governor. Cuthbert Fenwick was transported to Maryland from Virginia as a servant of Thos. Cornwallys, Esq. in 1633.(Patents AB&H:94,244, Skordas) According to AB & H:244, Thomas' Cornwaleys, Esq. came to Maryland on the ship Ark in 1634 with his partner Mr. John Saunders, who died during the voyage, and 12 servants. Cuthbert was later a member of the Maryland legislature. Jane was his second wife, and the name of his first wife is not known. He apparently married Jane after 1648, she having immigrated to Maryland in 1649 (Patents Q:115, ibid.)"

A son of one of the oldest Catholic Families of England. The Fenwicks of Maryland are connected with the Fenwicks of Fenwick Manor, in Northumberland, England, who can be traced back to the twelth century. Cuthberth Fenwick became an attorney for Sir Thomas Cornwalleys, of Cross Manor, as his son-in-law. He sat in the Colonial Assembly, and rose rapidly in legislative activities. "An intimate friend and relative of Leonard Calvert, he filled some of the most important positions in the Colony. He was a Member of the Assembly in 1649, when the celebrated act for "Religious Toleration" was passed". (Maryland's Heraldic Families, Alice Parran)

He married first the daughter of Cornwalleys, of Cross Manor, and second Jane Eltonhead, and thirdly, a daughter of Thomas Gerrard.

His Will was dated 6 Mar 1654, and probated by 24 Apr 1655:

"Fenwick, Cuthbert, St. Mary's Co. 6th Mch., 1654; -- -- --. To wife Jane, land west of Deep Branch at St. Cuthbert's Neck absolutely, and plantation during life; she to have charge of child., during their minority. To child., viz., Cuthbert, Ignatius, Robert, Richard, and John residue of land equally, save Cuthbert who is bequeathed 100 A. more than any of the others. His plantation to be on St. Cuthbert's, and he to be the Lord of the manor. To Teresa, personalty. To Mr. Starkey, Mr. Fitzherbert, and brother Eltonhead, personalty. Ex. not given. Test: Francis Anketill, Eliza: Gerrard. (Liber S., folio 219, at Md. Historical Society, Baltimore, Maryland)

Cuthbert and his descendents are of very prominent English lineage. The Fenwicks of Northumberland and the Scottish borders have a long and distinguished history. The name is first recorded in the thirteenth century, but a Saxon lineage has been claimed. His sixth great grandfather was Sir John de Fenwick. John was Knighted in the French War by King Henry V and given the motto,"Perit ut Vivat", and "Trouble Ville", in Normandy.

Cuthbert's twelfth great grandfather was Sir Robert de Fenwick, born in 1190. He is the furthest Fenwick that I have currently researched of this family line.

Via the marriage of his fourth great grandfather, Roger de Fenwick married Agnes Harbottle. Agnes' ninth great grandfather is King Henry III of England. This family possesses some of the strongest of the Royal English names. The Percys, Nevilles, FitzAlans and Plantagenets are amongst some. Being that property helped maintained family relationships, many families aligned themselves to marry their young to spread their Baroncies and strengthen their roles of Lordships and eventually becoming those of Earls and even Kings and Queens. This lineage appears numourous times over in our family. On both sides we are in possession of this exact same Royal lineage.

Fenwick Towers remained in the family until the mid 19th Century. The ruins of what once was there is still standing. Only a large section of a wall remains. This residence remained in the family for over fourteen generations.

Concerning the migration on the Ark and the Dove:

In mid-October of 1633, the two ships, The Ark and The Dove left Gravesend with an unknown number of passengers, all of whom had presumably taken the oath of fidelity to Charles. Their next stop was Cowes on the Isle of Wight, where at least three Catholic priests, Fathers Andrew White, John Altham and Thomas Gervais, came on board. Father White kept a journal of the voyage, in which he wrote (translated from the Latin):

"On St Cecilias day, the 22 of November 1633 with a gentle Northerne gale we set saile from the Cowes about 10 in the morninge, toward the needles, being rockes at the south end of Ile of Wight, till by default of winde we were forced to ankour at Yarmouth, weh very kindly saluted us, how beit we were not out of feare, for the seamen secretly reported that they expected the post with letters from the Counsell at London: but God would tende the matter, and sent tht night soe strong a faire winde as forced a ffrench barke from her ankor hold driveing her foule upon our pinnace forced her to set saile with losse of an ankour, and take to Sea, that being a dangerous place to floate in, whereby we were necessarily to follow, least we should part companie, and thus God frustrated the plot of our Seamen. This was the 23 of of Novemb: on St Clements day who wonne his Crowne by being cast into the Sea fastned to an ankor. That morneing by 10 a clocke we came to Hurste Castle, and thence were saluted with a shot, and soe passed by the dangerous needles, being certaine sharpe rockes at the end of the Iland, much feared by Seamen for a double tyde which she carried to Shipwrecke, tone upon the rockes, t- other upon the sand. I omitt our danger passed Yarmouth, where by dragging anchour in a strong winde and tide we almost runne of our shipp a ground. "

Neither the number who boarded at Gravesend (where all were required to take an oath declaring Charles I their true religious leader), nor those who boarded at Cowes (presumably to avoid taking the oath) is known. Lord Baltimore spoke of 300 passengers, but no ships lists are extant, and most evidence as to passengers is secondary. On 22 Nov 1633, the two ships left Cowes, but only three days out, they encountered severe storms, and were separated:

"Soe all Sunday and Munday the 24th and 25th of Novemb: we sailed afore the winde, till night, when the winde changed to Northwest so violent, and tempestuous, as the Dragon was forced backe to ffalmouth, not able to keep the sea, being yet not to goe southwest, but right south to Angola, and our pinnace mistrusting her strength came up to us to tell that if shee were in distresse shee would shew two lights in her shroodes. Our master was a very sufficient seaman, and shipp as strong as could be made of oake and iron, 400 tunne, kingbuilt: makeinge faire weather in great stormes. Now the master had his choise, whether he would returne England as the Draggon did, or saile so close up to the winde, as if he should not hold it he must necessarily fall upon the irish shoare, so infamous for rockes of greatest danger: of these two, out of a certaine hardinesse and desire to trie the goodnesse of his shipp, in which he had never beene at Sea afore, he resolved to keep the sea, with great danger, wanting Sea-roome. The winde grew still lowder and lowder, makeing a boysterous sea, and about midnight we espied our pinnace [The Dove] with her two lights, as she had forewarned us, in the shroodes, from wch time till six weekes, we never see her more, thinkeing shee had assuredly beene foundred and lost in those huge seas, but it happened otherwise, for before shee came to the Irish Channell, where we were now tossinge, shee returned for England, and entered into the Scilley Iles, whence afterward in the Dragons Company shee came to the long reach and Canarie Iles, God provideing a convenient guard for that small vessell."

The two ships remained separated for most of the remainder of the voyage. The Ark arrived at Barbadoes in the West Indies on 3 Jan 1633/4, and were joined by the smaller Dove three weeks later. They disembarked shortly thereafter and arrived at Point Comfort in Virginia Colony on 27 Feb 1633/4:

"At length, sailing from this, we reached what they call Point Comfort, in Virginia, on the 27th of February, full of fear lest the English inhabitants, to whom our plantation is very objectionable, should plot evil against us. Letters, however, which we brought from the King and Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Governor of these regions, served to conciliate their minds, and to obtain those things which were useful to us. For the Governor of Virginia hoped, by this kindness to us, to the more easily from the royal treasury a great amount money due to him. They announced only a vague rumor, that six ships were approaching, which would reduce all things under the power of the Spanish. For this reason all the inhabitants were under arms. The thing afterwards proved to be in a measure true. "

Here they resupplied the ships, took on more passengers and again set sailthis time north up the Chesapeake Bay, arriving at the mouth of the Potomac River by 3 Mar 1633/4. As they approached Maryland's southern shores, Father White reports they were met by Indians: At the very mouth of the river we beheld the natives armed. That night fires were kindled through the whole region, and since so large a ship had never been seen by them, messengers were sent everywhere to announce "that a canoe as large as an island had brought as many men as there were trees in the woods." We proceeded, however, to Heron islands, so called from the immense flocks of birds of this kind..."

To allay their fears, Leonard Calvert sailed on the Dove to Piscataway, where he and Henry Fleet (more about whom see below) met with their chief. Fleete was, among other things, conversant in a number of Indian languages, and aided Calvert in calming the fears of the Indians. Father White reported in his journal:

"The Governor had taken as companion in his visit to the chieftain, Captain Henry Fleet, a resident of Virginia, a man very much beloved by the savages, and acquainted with their language and settlements. At the first he was very friendly to us -- afterwards, seduced by the evil counsels of a certain Claiborne, who entertained the most hostile disposition, he stirred up the minds of the natives against us with all the art of which he was master. In the meantime, however, while he remained as a friend among us, he pointed out to the Governor a place for a settlement, such that Erurope cannot show a better for agreeableness of situation. "

Following the return of Governor Calvert and Henry Fleet, on 25 Mar 1634, the ships landed at St. Clement's Island in present-day St. Mary's County, Maryland, where they became the second group of settlers within the boundaries of the province. The Isle of Kent was the earliest white settlement within what became the bounds of the Province of Maryland.

More About Cuthbert Fenwick: Record Change: January 23, 2004

More About Cuthbert Fenwick and Jane Eltonhead: Marriage: August 01, 1649, St. Mary's County, Maryland.

Children of Cuthbert Fenwick and Jane Eltonhead are: +Richard Fenwick, b. Abt. 1653, St. Mary's County, Maryland, d. April 26, 1714, St. Mary's County, Maryland.